Who you callin’ 7-11?

Jackie Chan (Chief Inspector Lee) and Chris Tucker (LAPD
Detective James Carter) teamed up for the second go ‘round of east
meets west crime fighting in “Rush Hour 2,” and while the script
offered little new and improved humor, the gags, explosions and
suits were bigger, brighter and better. Chris showcased his
milk-chocolately skin at every opportunity. First with a wine
colored shirt, snazzy tie in orange and wine paisley and a charcoal
gray suit complete with vest and burgundy pin stripes. Costume
Designer Rita Ryack played up the Asian influence of the setting
with richly colored brocade fabrics, prints of flowers and dragons,
lots of black with bright red and multi-button waiter jackets. Her
choice of accessories, like a rescued chicken in a cage, get high
marks for originality and e-hem, pluckiness. Chris Tucker looked
absolutely fabulous macked out in a caramel-colored Versace
croc-skin suit with butter cream tie and shirt. Ryack obviously got
the Chris Tucker skin tone appreciation award for that ensemble and
later, a brown leather jacket and black print shirt. Jackie Chan
managed to kick his way out of a few nice suits but his black
brocade Versace suit with its three-quarter-length coat stole the
show. He also shaved quite a few years off the old age with an open
necked shirt and silver chain. Honorable wardrobe mentions go to
Asian It-girl of the moment Zhang Ziyi (Hu Li), who played a
beautiful villain with her high kicking moves and sweetly innocent
face. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be so slender?
Pants were made for a frame like hers. Her legs, frequently off the
ground and upside someone’s head, appeared to start somewhere
around her armpits. Roselyn Sanchez (Isabella Molina) showed off
her petite curves and a sneaky side as a Secret Service agent under
cover in a slick white gown with a sexy slit and white high-heeled
sandals. But the fabulous suit award goes to John Lone (Ricky Tan)
for his superfine traditional number in a modern, shiny, ice blue
fabric. Love that new trend of the pale as milk tie and richly
colored jacket. Just points the way to whatever fabulousness is
happening north of the neck...

Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Ass Ape?

The summer’s much anticipated redux of classic cinema great
“Planet of the Apes” starred Mark Wahlberg (Leo Davidson) and
Estella Warren (Daena) among others. And from a fashionista’s view
the costumes weren’t the current favorite line of never ending
brand name, runway wonders, but there was good stuff there.
Wahlberg and Warren only got to wear one costume throughout the
movie, more’s the pity, but when you’re built like they are, one’s
all you need! Mark’s white space suit fit like a glove and grew
progressively dirtier and more ripped as his adventures progressed,
offering the viewer tantalizing glimpses of firmly muscled skin and
the occasional, manly, Technicolor bruise. It helped that the rips
on his suit were almost perfectly symmetrical and reminiscent of
that not long defunct military style that was hot on runways just a
short fashion March ago. Model turned actress Estella is mostly
legs and hair but she does a nice line in pouty pink lips and a
deeply cleft desert bikini made of shells and vine a la Raquel
Welch. Costume Designer Colleen Atwood, a veteran of film work with
Director Tim Burton (Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow), was able to
indulge herself on the apes costumes with plenty of black and brown
leather plated body armor decorated with various medals and what
not depending on the soldiers station in the army. The aristocrat
apes were expensively and uniquely gowned in loose fitted garments
in bright, richly colored damask cloth with gold embroidery.
Special wardrobe kudos for Helena Bonham Carter (Ari) and her wide
legged lounge suit with “human” detailing and brightly colored
trim. She also had some interesting wrist action happening with a
shiny electric blue net number that reached around the thumb like a
charmingly garish manacle.